It would seem that trading for Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder may work out after all.

Thomas was traded in a deal that brought in Clarkson and Nance Jr. but most importantly, left a hole in the starting point guard for a later acquisition (Hill) to fill.

A tendentious player in his Cavs tenure, Thomas wasn’t completely healthy when he returned from a torn labrum in his hip and the on-court results reflected as much. Thanks to impaired explosiveness, the undersized scorer has seen just 36.1 percent of his shots and 25.3 percent of his three-point attempts go in this season. That he had a usage rate of 29.0, the second-highest on the team, shows how content Thomas was to shoot even though his shot wasn’t falling.

While putting up mediocre performances and antagonizing those within the organization threatened to cause the departure of LeBron James in the offseason, there is a player in his place that provide tremendous value to the team: Hill.

Hill provides the balanced and savvy point guard play that the Cleveland Cavaliers have missed on offense since Jose Calderon was starting. He’s also an impact player on the defensive end, whether it be in isolation or in the pick-and-roll. He’ll be the new starting point guard and could find himself paired with Rodney Hood in a remodeled starting five.

Although J.R. Smith has been the Cleveland Cavaliers starting point guard for the past three seasons, his play has noticeably slipped on both ends. Bringing in a dynamic scorer like Hood to complement Hill would probably be better than keeping Smith, primarily a catch-and-shoot threat, in the starting lineup.

Last season, the two-man lineup of Hill and Hood (who played for the Utah Jazz) outscored opponents by 9.0 points per 100 possessions. Together, the greatly improved the Jazz’s ball-movement, three-point marksmanship and ability to get to the free-throw line. Their length and defensive presence on the perimeter seems to have attributed to an increased amount of blocked shots as well.

This is the perimeter duo that will be most responsible for keeping James in Cleveland because they’re the duo that has replaced Irving. They may be a more comfortable fit for James too, with their comfort playing off-ball.

Not to be understated though is their ability to make plays with the ball in their hand. Having two trustworthy playmakers beside him in the frontcourt will get the ball out of James’ hands a little bit and get it swinging around, which could be beneficial for both the team and James.

The Cavs often get stagnant, as they watch James be the only effective perimeter playmaker. James often is turnover-prone and tends to hold the ball waiting for an assist, throwing ill-advised and telegraphed passes. That isn’t as likely to happen with Hill and Hood giving him a reason to play off-the-ball.

Not to be forgotten is the Nets pick, which could land them a draft prospect like Duke University’s Wendell Carter Jr. or Michigan State University’s Jaren Jackson Jr. Both prospects are athletic players have stretch-five potential and could be a franchise cornerstone at what will be their weakest position in the starting five. And the Nets are only 1.5 games away from having the best lottery odds to get the 1st pick.

The cost of doing business is taking the good with the bad and that’s where the Cavs stand after the Irving trade. After an up-and-down five months came to a head, with the team primed to explode or implode at any second, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally got the package of players they needed from the Irving trade.

Clarkson is one of the NBA’s best second unit scorers. Nance Jr. is a mature, high-flying, dynamic defender. Both are fine players and good people.

However, this trade was about Hill, Hood and a player to be determined. Players who compliment James both now and in the future.